Scott Galupo

Reading Too Much Into Sarah Palin's Speech Style

April 8, 2010 RSS Feed Print

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By Scott Galupo, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Via Andrew Sullivan, I see the linguist John McWhorter, blogging at The New Republic, has tried gamely to deconstruct the speech patterns of Sarah Palin:

What truly distinguishes Palin's speech is its utter subjectivity: that is, she speaks very much from the inside of her head, as someone watching the issues from a considerable distance. The there fetish, for instance—Palin frequently displaces statements with an appended "there," as in "We realize that more and more Americans are starting to see the light there..." But where? Why the distancing gesture? At another time, she referred to Condoleezza Rice trying to "forge that peace." That peace? You mean that peace way over there—as opposed to the peace that you as Vice-President would have been responsible for forging? She's far, far away from that peace.

Oh, come off it. I'm no fan of Sarah Palin; I wouldn't want her running my son's preschool, let alone the country. But this is a bit much. I've heard her employ the "there" fetish when she was talking about her years as a college student. "There" and "that" are her filler words, no different than the "um" and "like" of teenagers or the plaintive "just" of extemporaneous Protestant prayer (as in, "Father, if you would just heal his sickness...")

McWhorter, to be fair, does admit of this possibility, but can't leave it at that.

It seems to me that McWhorter's rather strained analysis is the anti-Palin equivalent of Camille Paglia's preposterous excuse for Palin's solecisms: "She uses language with the jumps, breaks and rippling momentum of a be-bop saxophonist." Right. That's what immediately jumps to mind when you think of Sarah Palin: bebop jazz. As I said at my old Washington Times blog—Charlie Parker, you are now free to get up and move about your grave.

The McWhorter/Paglia divergence just goes to show, as if we needed more proof, that Sarah Palin provokes extreme reactions—even, or maybe especially, in the rarefied realm of linguistics.

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Having read your column and numerous others on Sarah I am convinced that so many people now are wanting to find and even ivent anything wrong with her. It was an easy enough method with the use of two TV interviews and a stupid Saturday Nite Live sketch to make her seem unintelligent. In actuality she is intelligent, articulate, a quick learner and possessing of an immense ability to connect with people. I have studied communications and rhetoric...her use of colloquialisms and everyday speech is no reason as another way to downgrade her. Harry Truman, Calvin Coolidge, and numerous other Presidents did not have ant special gift of speechmaking. I know of no other candiate for whom this was an issue. If inteeligence alone were a barometer of a good leader let us analyze the crude remarks of the Vice President (few remember how he was one of the Senators who grilled Justice Thomas.Here are the main reasons for the attacks. What I look for in a leader is someone who has chracter and virtue, an ability to rally people to a good cause and make important moral decisions that are the basis of politics. It appears quite clear that even though Sarah Palin is a woman , which should be an obvious achievemnt, she is still castigated. President Obama was considered so very articulate during the debates and yet would not answer questions with few specifics and strong views but to the real listener showed a radical change and naivite. His lack of really willing to adddress specifics was taken by many to show that he was a "nice peaceful guy." Now his very misguided and poor judgements have hurt America. I am fairly bipartisan and I am aware that the problems of this country now are not the sole result of any one president. But I see the attacks on Sarah Palin because she is an outsider, one who is willing to speak plainly to people's concerns. And also becase she is ProLife..she is a Christian and unafraid to say so. She may not be the best runner for a president or Vice President...but she is making a very big impact by her influence. People are flocking to her because they feel she is giving them a voice.

Greg G. of PA 11:22PM April 16, 2010

You showing to much influence from your old boss who is nothing more than a RINO. That is what really needles you. The fact that Rebulicrats and Democans are going to be out of a job this fall is what really has you worried.... hence the drive to belittle someone who has no office or title. Bad move on your part again I'm afraid.
In the debate where Reagan told Carter, "There you go again". You now are giving Palin status by not knowing how to deal with her influence. Just remember... If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck....it is one. Liars and those who are phony are identified in the same way. It's too bad that Barry Soetoro (aka Barack Obama) is getting his friends to support his lies. They are all sticking together making it easier to identify them. Pass that on to Senators Graham and Snowe. Perhaps they will follow Stupaks lead.

Jeff of WI 1:48PM April 11, 2010

There IS something odd about her speech. I always, when listening to her, have the feeling that she is talking to kindergarten children. Her choice of what to emphasis and that squeaky-cute inflection of voice remind me of someone trying to explain things to very young children or perhaps people with impaired thinking. Is this normal for her, or does she think her audience devoid of people who consider matters as thoughtful adults?
Her recent speech started with 'do you love freedom'? A no-brainer. Who would answer that in a negative manner?
It's a shame that she found her job was too tough for her and she quit. I suppose we should consider ourselves fortunate that she was not Vice-President at that time in her life.
I don't equate her odd speech delivery with sincerity or honesty or good judgment. Not having read anything noteworthy, being a quitter; golly, choosing to have a session with a witch doctor - these are not signs of stability or signs of someone who most of us would trust with decisions on the course of our democratic republic.

Joan Dalton of AL 12:33PM April 11, 2010

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Reading Too Much Into Sarah Palin's Speech Style

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